A support pad is typically used to support a patient undergoing a surgical procedure. The patient positioned on the support pad applies a load to the support pad. At least a portion of the load is resisted by the support pad. The resistance of the support pad serves to create an interface pressure at the surface of the support pad on which the patient is positioned. The interface pressure is applied to the patient's tissues contacting the surface of the support pad. Pressure ulcers are more likely to develop in tissues that have been exposed to long periods of elevated interface pressure.
An amount of interface pressure applied to the tissues is generally related to respective loads applied to the support pad and an ability of the support pad to redistribute loads over the surface of the support pad. For example, a rigid support pad may be less likely to effectively redistribute loads therein than a soft support pad due to an inability of a surface of the rigid support pad to envelop the loads. This is at least partially due to the tendency of rigid surfaces to resist an application of force thereto. Thus, a greater peak of interface pressure may be applied to the tissues by the rigid pad than the soft pad.
Pressure sensing devices or other electronic components embedded in a support pad (e.g., temperature sensing, heating or excitation devices) are commonly positioned adjacent to an outer surface of the support pad. However, these electronic components are generally semi-rigid, thereby leading to increases in interface pressure and reduced load redistribution through the support pad.
The present invention provides a support pad with embedded electronic components that overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art.